Backyard birding involves cultivating an environment that attracts and sustains local avian populations. Providing reliable resources allows homeowners to observe and support numerous bird species. Focusing on three primary needs—food, water, and shelter—creates a welcoming habitat that encourages birds to stay and thrive.
Providing Reliable Food Sources
Offering a consistent supply of quality seed is the most direct method for attracting a wide variety of birds to a yard. The most universally accepted option is black oil sunflower seed, which possesses a high fat content and thin shells that are easy for many species to crack open. This single seed type can attract over 40 different bird species, including finches, chickadees, and cardinals.
To draw in a broader range of visitors, specialized seeds should be offered. Thistle, or Nyjer, seed is a favorite of small finches like American Goldfinches, while white proso millet appeals strongly to ground-feeding birds such as sparrows, doves, and juncos. Placing these seed types in various feeders—tube feeders for sunflower and thistle, and platform feeders for millet—ensures birds of all sizes and feeding preferences can access the food.
Beyond seeds, supplementary foods provide additional energy. Suet cakes offer high-energy fat sources, especially beneficial during colder months. Dried mealworms offer a protein-rich option favored by insectivorous species like bluebirds.
Offering Essential Water Features
Water is a necessity for birds, used for both drinking and bathing, and a dependable source can attract species that do not typically visit seed feeders. The ideal bird bath should mimic a shallow natural pool, with a basin depth no greater than one to two inches. A gradual slope and a rough, textured surface are preferable, as they allow birds to wade comfortably and provide secure footing.
Birds are particularly drawn to the sight and sound of movement, making features that create ripples or drips highly effective attractants. Simple drip systems, misters, or small bubblers can be added to a static bath to create this effect, which also helps to discourage mosquito larvae from developing. During winter, an electric bird bath heater prevents the water from freezing, offering a life-sustaining resource when natural sources are locked in ice.
Creating Safe Shelter and Nesting Sites
Establishing a structurally diverse habitat with native plants is the long-term strategy for encouraging birds to stay and raise young in the yard. Native shrubs and trees are preferred because they have co-evolved with local insect populations, supporting hundreds of caterpillar species that are the primary food source for nestlings. Dense, layered vegetation, achieved by planting ground cover, shrubs, and trees, provides tiered protection from weather and predators, which is necessary for different bird species.
Specific native plantings like oaks, which support the greatest number of insect larvae, or evergreens, which offer year-round cover and roosting sites, form the backbone of a bird-friendly landscape. For nesting, artificial structures like nest boxes can be provided, with the entrance hole size and box dimensions tailored to target species, such as bluebirds or wrens. Placement is important, often requiring the box to be clear of immediate vegetation to allow birds a clear flight path, while still being close enough to dense cover for quick retreat.
Maintaining a Secure and Healthy Environment
To prevent the spread of infectious avian diseases, regular maintenance and cleanliness protocols are necessary for all feeding and watering stations. Seed feeders should be thoroughly cleaned at least once every two weeks, or more frequently during periods of heavy use or wet weather. The recommended protocol involves scrubbing the feeder to remove debris and then soaking it for 10 minutes in a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach.
Nectar feeders, especially those for hummingbirds, require more frequent attention, needing cleaning and refilling every three to five days, or daily in very hot weather, to prevent spoilage and fermentation. Furthermore, the area beneath seed feeders should be routinely raked or swept to remove spilled seed hulls and droppings, which can harbor mold and attract rodents.
Another important safety measure is mitigating window strikes. This is achieved by placing feeders either very close to the glass, within three feet, or far away, more than 30 feet, and applying decals or screens to break up window reflections.